of Bhima, Karna, that
foremost of intelligent men, abstained from that combat in the very sight
of all the bowmen. Indeed, having made Bhima carless, Karna, O king,
reproved him in such boastful language in the sight of that lion among
the Vrishnis (viz., Krishna) and of the high-souled Partha. Then the
ape-bannered (Arjuna), urged by Kesava, shot at the Suta's son, O king,
many shafts whetted on stone. Those arrows adorned with gold, shot by
Partha's arms and issuing out of Gandiva, entered Karna's body, like
cranes into the Krauncha mountains. With those arrows shot from Gandiva
which entered Karna's body like so many snakes, Dhananjaya drove the
Suta's son from Bhimasena's vicinity. His bow cut off by Bhima, and
himself afflicted with the arrows of Dhananjaya, Karna quickly fled away
from Bhima on his great car. Bhimasena also, O bull among men, mounting
upon Satyaki's car, proceeded in that battle in the wake of his brother
Savyasachin, the son of Pandu. Then Dhananjaya, with eyes red in wrath,
aiming at Karna, quickly sped a shaft like the Destroyer urging forward
Death's self. That shaft shot from Gandiva, like Garuda in the welkin in
quest of a mighty snake, quickly coursed towards Karna. The son of Drona,
however, that mighty car-warrior, with a winged arrow of his, cut it off
in mid-air, desirous of rescuing Karna from fear of Dhananjaya. Then
Arjuna, excited with wrath, pierced the son of Drona with four and sixty
arrows, O king, and addressing him, said, "Do not fly away, O Aswatthaman,
but wait a moment." Drona's son, however, afflicted with the shafts of
Dhananjaya, quickly entered a division of the Kaurava army that abounded
with infuriated elephants and teemed with cars. The mighty son of Kunti,
then, with the twang of Gandiva, drowned the noise made in that battle by
all other twangings of bows, of shafts decked with gold. Then, the mighty
Dhananjaya followed from behind the son of Drona who had not retreated to
a great distance, frightening him all the way with his shafts. Piercing
with his shafts, winged with the feathers of Kankas and peacocks, the
bodies of men and elephants and steeds, Arjuna began to grind that force.
Indeed, O chief of the Bharatas, Partha, the son of Indra, began to
exterminate that host teeming with steeds and elephants and men.'"

SECTION CXXXIX

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Day by day, O Sanjaya, my blazing fame is being
darkened. A great many warriors of mine have fallen. I thi